Scanning optical apparatus

Abstract

In a scanning optical apparatus, a light beam emitted by a light source is caused to be obliquely incident on a deflection surface of an optical deflector in a sub scanning section through an optical device to form an image of the light beam deflectively reflected by the optical deflector on a surface to be scanned by an imaging optical system. A lateral magnification of the imaging optical system in a sub scanning direction is caused to change in accordance with a distance away from the on-axis to an off-axis along the main scanning direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A scanning optical apparatus comprising: light source means;   an optical deflector for deflecting a light beam emitted by said light source means;   optical means for causing the light beam emitted by said light source means to be obliquely incident on a deflection surface of said optical deflector within a sub scanning section; and   an imaging optical system for forming an image of the light beam deflectively reflected by said optical deflector on a surface to be scanned, said imaging optical system having a sub-scanning-direction lateral magnification which changes in accordance with a distance away from an on-axis position to an off-axis position along a main scanning direction,   wherein letting β be the sub-scanning-direction lateral magnification of said imaging optical system at the on-axis position, β' the sub-scanning-direction lateral magnification at the off-axis position, dZ an image height displacement of an on-axis light beam upon elevation of an atmospheric temperature, dZ' an image height displacement difference between the on-axis light beam and an off-axis light beam upon elevation of the atmospheric temperature, and ΔdZ' a correction residual of the difference dZ', when the correction residual ΔdZ' is given by:   ΔdZ'=|dZ'-(β'/β-1)·dZ|     the following condition is satisfied:     ΔdZ'≦20 (μm).       
     
     
       2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said imaging optical system has a lens having a meniscus lens shape within a main scanning section, essentially consisting of plastic, and having a positive refracting power. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light source means comprises a plurality of light sources. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said optical means causes a plurality of light beams emitted by said light source means to be non-parallely incident on said deflection surface of said optical deflector. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said imaging optical system has a plurality of rotational asymmetrical lenses each having an optical axis substantially parallel to the light beam incident on the lens, and a generating-line connecting meridian-line vertices of each of said plurality of rotational asymmetrical lenses is curved in a sub scanning direction. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said deflection surface of said optical deflector and said surface of said recording medium are made to be optically conjugate with each other within the sub scanning section by said imaging optical system. 
     
     
       7. A scanning optical apparatus comprising: light source means;   an optical deflector for deflecting a light beam emitted by said light source means;   optical means for causing the light beam emitted by said light source means to be obliquely incident on a deflection surface of said optical deflector within a sub scanning section; and   an imaging optical system for forming an image of the light beam deflectively reflected by said optical deflector on a surface to be scanned, said imaging optical system having a sub-scanning-direction lateral magnification which changes in accordance with a distance away from an on-axis position to an off-axis position along a main scanning direction,   wherein said imaging optical system has a cylindrical lens and a toric lens constituted by a plastic lens whose lens surface on said optical deflector side comprises a concave surface within a main scanning section.   
     
     
       8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said imaging optical system has a lens having a meniscus lens shape within a main scanning section, essentially consisting of plastic, and having a positive refracting power. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said light source means comprises a plurality of light sources. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said optical means causes a plurality of light beams emitted by said light source means to be non-parallely incident on said deflection surface of said optical deflector. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said imaging optical system has a plurality of rotational asymmetrical lenses each having an optical axis substantially parallel to the light beam incident on the lens, and a generating-line connecting meridian-line vertices of each of said plurality of rotational asymmetrical lenses is curved in a sub scanning direction. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said deflection surface of said optical deflector and said surface of said recording medium are made to be optically conjugate with each other within the sub scanning section by said imaging optical system. 
     
     
       13. A laser beam printer apparatus comprising: light source means;   an optical deflector for deflecting a light beam emitted by said light source means;   optical means for causing the light beam emitted by said light source means to be obliquely incident on a deflection surface of said optical deflector within a sub scanning section;   a recording medium; and   an imaging optical system for forming an image of the light beam deflectively reflected by said optical deflector on a surface of said recording medium, said imaging optical system having a sub-scanning-direction lateral magnification which changes in accordance with a distance away from an on-axis position to an off-axis position along a main scanning direction,   wherein letting β be the sub-scanning-direction lateral magnification of said imaging optical system at the on-axis position, β' the sub-scanning-direction lateral magnification at the off-axis position, dZ an image height displacement of an on-axis light beam upon elevation of an atmospheric temperature, dZ' an image height displacement difference between the on-axis light beam and an off-axis light beam upon elevation of the atmospheric temperature, and ΔdZ' a correction residual of the difference dZ', when the correction residual ΔdZ' is given by:   ΔdZ'=|dZ'-(β'/β-1)·dZ|     the following condition is satisfied:     ΔdZ'≦20 (μm).       
     
     
       14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said imaging optical system has a lens having a meniscus lens shape within a main scanning section, essentially consisting of plastic, and having a positive refracting power. 
     
     
       15. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said light source means comprises a plurality of light sources. 
     
     
       16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said optical means causes a plurality of light beams emitted by said light source means to be non-parallely incident on said deflection surface of said optical deflector. 
     
     
       17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said imaging optical system has a plurality of rotational asymmetrical lenses each having an optical axis substantially parallel to the light beam incident on the lens, and a generating-line connecting meridian-line vertices of each of said plurality of rotational asymmetrical lenses is curved in a sub scanning direction. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said deflection surface of said optical deflector and said surface of said recording medium are made to be optically conjugate with each other within the sub scanning section by said imaging optical system. 
     
     
       19. A laser beam printer apparatus comprising: light source means;   an optical deflector for deflecting a light beam emitted by said light source means;   optical means for causing the light beam emitted by said light source means to be obliquely incident on a deflection surface of said optical deflector within a sub scanning section;   a recording medium; and   an imaging optical system for forming an image of the light beam deflectively reflected by said optical deflector on a surface of said recording medium, said imaging optical system having a sub-scanning-direction lateral magnification which changes in accordance with a distance away from an on-axis position to an off-axis position along a main scanning direction,   wherein said imaging optical system has a cylindrical lens and a toric lens constituted by a plastic lens whose lens surface on said optical deflector side comprises a concave surface within a main scanning section.   
     
     
       20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said imaging optical system has a lens having a meniscus lens shape within a main scanning section, essentially consisting of plastic, and having a positive refracting power. 
     
     
       21. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said light source means comprises a plurality of light sources. 
     
     
       22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said optical means causes a plurality of light beams emitted by said light source means to be non-parallely incident on said deflection surface of said optical deflector. 
     
     
       23. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said imaging optical system has a plurality of rotational asymmetrical lenses each having an optical axis substantially parallel to the light beam incident on the lens, and a generating-line connecting meridian-line vertices of each of said plurality of rotational asymmetrical lenses is curved in a sub scanning direction. 
     
     
       24. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said deflection surface of said optical deflector and said surface of said recording medium are made to be optically conjugate with each other within the sub scanning section by said imaging optical system.